27 February,2024 06:55 AM IST | Mumbai | Prajakta Kasale
BMC will take some more time to send out the physical bills
After goofing up on property tax bills last year, the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), was finally able to upload the correct bills on Monday. The BMC will take a few more days to send physical copies of the bills. However, Mumbaikars have only until March 31, to pay their bills as the BMC hasn't extended the payment due date.
The corporation has collected only Rs 710 crore in property tax in the current financial year, mostly from pending tax, against the revised target of Rs 4,500 crore. The BMC had uploaded bills with a 15 per cent to 20 per cent unannounced hike in the last week of December.
After a mid-day report on December 30 and following heavy criticism from citizens, the BMC withdrew the bills on the same day. Now, after two months and a lengthy procedure to get a nod from the state government and the Governor, the civic body was finally able to reload the bills with the same amount as that of the previous financial year.
"We started uploading bills in a phase-wise manner since morning and 100 per cent bills from all 25 wards were uploaded till 7 pm," said a senior BMC official. He said though there is a delay from the corporation's side (to upload bills) we appealed to citizens to pay it before March 31, which is the last day of the financial year.
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Every year, the deadline to make full payment is March 15. This year, citizens will get a few more days.
As per the rules, property tax rates are hiked every five years. It was due to be hiked in 2020-21. When that did not happen, a nod was required every year from the state government to not hike it. However, this year the BMC hadn't sent any proposal to not raise tax and instead started uploading online bills in the last week of December with an announced hike of 15-20 per cent.
After criticism, the BMC sent in a request to the state government in January. The state cabinet approved the ordinance on February 5 but a governor's signature is necessary to issue GR. The GR was published on, February 16.
In its 2023-24 budget, the BMC proposed a 16 per cent hike in property tax to increase revenue but in budget estimates for 2024-25, the BMC kept ambiguity over the tax hike due to experiences of the past five years.
16 percent
Hike in tax proposed in last budget
